FK Decontamination: Any Downside, tips or warnings?

1

1ShinyCar

New member
I learned of the FK Decontamination system on this site. I am a big fan of clay, but it seems that this system may provide additional, sub-surface benefits clay does not. The FK site states this process is absolutely safe for even a new car, but I wanted to get additional opinions.



Is there a downside to using this product on a new car? Also, any user experiences or tips would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Hi!



I have used the kit, i would just say make sure you try to avoid breathing in the acid and alkali bit as they are kinda strong!



David Fermani mentioned on a previous post where i mentioned the FK kit that he prefers a different one as you use the acid wash in a different order.



I dont remeber what this kit is called as i only have access the FK kit in my country.



Geoff
 
I personally don't like the smell of the FK step 1, the alkaline step ("acid neutralizer"). It's TSP mixed with kerosene, pretty much, and the smell lingers forever. I'd try the Valugard next time.
 
There shouldn't be a downside to using FK1's decon kit on a new car - actually, many manufacturer's TSBs call for using a decon kit and not clay to prep new cars that are contaminated by rail dust or other fallout.



I'd suggest using a grout sponge (like the kind people use for washes) for the acid step.
 
I've only used the Fk1119 part of their system (I use the AutoInt/ValuGard "ABC" stuff for my full decon jobs), but that FK1119 works well. I didn't find the smell nearly as bad as I was expecting.



For the "regular wash"/ph neutral part of the system, make sure it's worth buying. With the "ABC" I skip their final step and do a regular wash with my usual shampoo instead.



While *I* would go with "ABC" instead of the FK stuff, there shouldn't be any issues with doing a decon. I do it on all my new cars and I've never had a problem. FK makes a big deal out of how their acid is milder/safer than the "B" stuff, but I found "B" to be plenty gentle and, if anything, I wish it were a little stronger.



I often clay (as/only if needed) while the decon stuff is dwelling. It dissolves the clay mighty fast but the two approaches seem to work well together. But again, I'd only do that if it's necessary.
 
Thanks everyone; I appreciate the input.



Accumulator, you mentioned that you clay during the decontamination process. I thought that the process eliminated this need. Should I expect to need to clay as well as decontaminate?
 
1ShinyCar said:
Accumulator, you mentioned that you clay during the decontamination process. I thought that the process eliminated this need. Should I expect to need to clay as well as decontaminate?
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Things don't always go as planned and even very good products don't always work as wonderfully as we'd like ;) Yeah, the chemical action of the decon oughta do the job all by itself, with just a *little* mechanical agitation from the application media. But sometimes that's just not enough and in those cases the addition of clay (a purely mechanical process) can help nudge things along.



While this is *not* something the decon system makers want to bring up, I've discussed it with Ron K. at AutoInt and even *he* admits that sometimes the added boost from the clay can be helpful.



I think you'll realize when you need to try adding the clay.; don't do it unless you have a reason to. But if you find yourself thinking "hey, this acidic stuff isn't getting these rust-blooms off the way I'd expected it to" then try claying while the decon stuff is dwelling. That's usually when I do it ( while the acid is dwelling on stubborn rust-blooms) but I've also done it during the alkaline step (man-oh-man does *that* dissolve the clay fast!) when something just wasn't coming clean to my satisfaction.
 
Thanks. You mentioned rust blooms and I am questioning whether or not I am on the right track.



If there are no rust blooms, just roughness and the desire to have the best possible paint prep prior to applying sealant is decontamination or simply clay the way to go?
 
1ShinyCar said:
Thanks. You mentioned rust blooms and I am questioning whether or not I am on the right track.



If there are no rust blooms, just roughness and the desire to have the best possible paint prep prior to applying sealant is decontamination or simply clay the way to go?
Click to expand...



It might be one of those cases where I might just use the alkaline step for a "super wash" and the acidic step might not be necessary. BUT...on a new vehicle I'd do both, absolutely; there's just no way to know if it has ferrous contamination on it or not, and I wouldn't want to wait until any such contamination starts to oxidize (resulting in the visible rust-blooms, which are an "uh-oh, this is serious", late-in-the-game situation) when you could just head off problems by using the acid now.



But regarding the super wash, yeah, I've used FK1119 (this way) for this and it works well; I do a conventional/gentle wash first, then the FK1119, then a quickie follow-up wash (to make sure I get all the FK1119 off).



You might/might not still need to clay, and of course there's the whole issue of pre-sealant prep, which *IMO* the decon does not replace. I'd do *some* sort of light polishing before the sealant no matter what else you do/don't do.



Short recap: on a brand-new car, I'd do a full decon and then see if you need to do anything else before you seal it.
 
Thanks - you addressed all of my questions and doubts (at least about the decontamination). I am going to do the full process and clay during it on an as-needed basis.



Now...I need to address the actual paint prep before the sealant - I will start a different thread for that.



Thanks Accumulator and all for your help.
 
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